Oregon-Washington Predictions

Wrapping up about as tame an Oregon-Washington week as I can ever recall …

We're about to reach the halfway point of the regular season, with Oregon looking about like what was expected of the Ducks by this point. The defense has indeed been a strength, and the young offense has indeed showed some potential while also experiencing some hiccups. With the offensive line seemingly intact this week, for the first time all season (with apologies to Carson York), Oregon could be in position to put together a big performance, and extend a winning streak against the Huskies that currently stands at eight games.

I'm interested to see … if Washington will have any luck moving the ball. Keith Price is a talented quarterback, and he's got some really good targets in receiver Kasen Williams and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. But the loss of Chris Polk to the NFL and Jesse Callier to injury has thinned the UW running back ranks, and four potential starters on the offensive line have gone down since the spring. Thus, the Huskies are 113th nationally in yards per play with 4.62, and 91st in scoring with 23.25 points per game. Oregon's defense, meanwhile, is yielding 4.55 yards per play, 20th nationally, the Ducks are top 10 in the crucial third-down and red-zone defensive situations, and they're averaging better than seven sacks per game. Not a good matchup for the UW offensive line.

I'm interested to see … just how Justin Wilcox and the UW defense try to defend Oregon. The Ducks to a man this week said they expect Washington to try the same strategy that worked against Stanford last week, bringing extra players into the box to stop the run. But Oregon also has learned to expect the unexpected; the Ducks rarely see from opposing defenses exactly what they've scouted, because those defenses unveil new tactics against Oregon. So which is it? Does Wilcox stick to what he does best? Or will the Ducks again spend a first half adjusting to a new look, which usually results in a big second half that sparks complaints about a slow start?

I'm interested to see …what the Ducks get from De'Antony Thomas. In the wake of two productive but not outlandish performances to open Pac-12 play by Thomas, Chip Kelly was asked Sunday whether defenses are "keying" on him. Kelly said no, but that the level of competition has improved and conference play. Then again, running backs coach Gary Campbell has said otherwise this week. He does seem to think Arizona and Washington State focused their efforts to at least some degree on stopping Thomas. Personally, I'm sure the Wildcats and Cougars made a point of telling their defenses, "Account for No. 6," but with Kenjon Barner also on the field, along with Marcus Mariota, just how much could they have focused things schematically on slowing down De'Anthony? And if they did … well, sorry guys, but you still lost.

I'm interested to see … how "clean" a performance Oregon can put together. Penalties and turnovers and special teams breakdowns are going to happen to the best of teams. But you want to minimize them as much as possible, and show over the course of the season you're improving in your execution. How many nits will there be to pick over come Sunday?

I'm interested to see … whether Oregon will be bowl-eligible by the end of the night.

OK, just kidding on the last one. The Ducks will most certainly be bowl-eligible, and entering the second half of their regular season exactly where everybody thought they'd be, unbeaten and looking like favorites to win a fourth straight conference title pending a Nov. 3 date in Los Angeles.